Do you have a cheat day?

RoseBudd85
RoseBudd85 Posts: 49
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
Is there evidence that it helps at all? For me it seems to be easier keeping to keep up the momentum I have rather then to have to start again the next day.
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Replies

  • Ms_Blondie
    Ms_Blondie Posts: 25 Member
    I started my weight loss journey on here 2 weeks ago and I only had one cheat day which really wasn't a horrible one because I was only over my calories by a little over 200. I think some people like me just need a cheat day now and then because if I wouldn't, I would end up going crazy and fall off the wagon and start eating like a pig.
  • lugovelb
    lugovelb Posts: 60
    Some people believe that if you are on a caloriies restrictive diet a cheat day my prevent your system going into starvation mode and slowing your metabolism. So for some people and depending on the diet a cheat day might be a good thing.

    Just my opinion
  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
    I don't intentionally have one on a schedule, but they happen anyway so I don't stress over it as long as they are few and far between. :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Nope. I don't have cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want - in moderation. For me, knowing I can have whatever I want - whenever I want it makes it feel less like a "diet" and more like a lifestyle change. I would much rather eat whatever it is I want NOW than have to wait for a specific day or meal to have it. I feel like THAT leads me to binge eat because I feel like there are foods that are 'Off limits' and this isn't my goal.
  • thatbondchick
    thatbondchick Posts: 14 Member
    I have found that if I hit a plateau for about a week and can't seem to break it a cheat day helps. So far every stall I have had has been broke with a cheat day. Nothing extreme but more then my normal daily limits.
  • GypsyRose25
    GypsyRose25 Posts: 407
    Do whatever is comfortable to you. I need a cheat MEAL, every couple of weeks or so. It gives me a goal to look forward to. People say that it is bad to use food as a reward, but I so don't see it that way. I love food way too much. I love having that decadent meal once every other week.
  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
    I'm no expert by any means as i keep struggling and lose and gain, etc...but i do have an opinion on cheat days.

    For me, when i cheat, i really cheat and I have realized that if i lose a pound a week (aka lose 3500 calories) and then i cheat (which for me could mean going out to eat or a bad happy hour which of course could equal a couple thousand calories) then I almost negate the good work i did. If i were to have one cheat day a week, i would really not lose much, if any, weight....

    That said, i personally feel if you need a "cheat day", then i just think it still needs to be a conscious cheat day, where you might give yourself a little leeway, but not have the mindset of "i can have whatever i want and/or how much i want" with no guidelines or of course make the cheat days far apart so you aren't negating the work you do.

    It took me a long time to understand how cheat days work - i'm still learning of course, but this is the conclusion i've come to that works well for me :-)
  • RoseBudd85
    RoseBudd85 Posts: 49
    I have found that if I hit a plateau for about a week and can't seem to break it a cheat day helps. So far every stall I have had has been broke with a cheat day. Nothing extreme but more then my normal daily limits.


    I just started so I haven't had a chance to hit a plateau yet, but will keep that in mind!
  • zundelag
    zundelag Posts: 175 Member
    I do have a cheat day once a week. It gives me something to look forward to when I'm trying to make the right decisions. At first it really was the whole day I would eat poorly, but now it is more like the day I let myself have a big breakfast or eat candy. It's not that I feel I have to, but that I think my mind set has changed.

    Whether or not to have a cheat day is a personal decision, but for me it would be caloric suicide to not have one. I'd just give up and eat what I want and when i want.
  • shanel_h
    shanel_h Posts: 18
    I don't eat back my exerciser earned calories so like this weekend i knew on Saturday i was going on a date night with the hubby i hit the gym in the morning and later that evening was able to eat my "cheat" meal and not feel so bad about it. i feel like its a win win! : )
  • misslyssa319
    misslyssa319 Posts: 186 Member
    my cheat day is sunday. but i still do at least 60 minutes of cardio and include those calories for the day. i don't pig out on junk but, like today, have a meal i've been craving and i was still under my calories for the day. sometimes i'm under, sometimes over but i still try to include everything. no guilt or buyers remorse for me!
  • zoodalia
    zoodalia Posts: 294
    I don't have a 'cheat' day, I have a 'treat' day each Friday and I love it. I'm very careful throughout the week and workout every day and so don't feel bad at all if I allow myself one day a week to eat the things I love. Some people say they eat what they want when they want but in moderation, I couldn't do that, because once I have a little of what I love I just feel low if I can't have the rest! I prefer allocating one particular day where I worry not!

    P.S. I'm still losing weight, about 1-2 pounds a week.

    Good luck!
  • tasman11
    tasman11 Posts: 79 Member
    WEEKEND! WEEKEND! Well once i start diet i hardly cheat but on weekends over eating can occur .Peer pressure ,parties, cinema and so much attractions on weekends.! But if you cheat then do more exercise that day!x
  • YvetteHowarth
    YvetteHowarth Posts: 8 Member
    Yes I have a cheat day, every sunday, it gives me something to look forward to and keeps me on the straight n narrow. I weigh in that morning then the rest of the day i have what i want. I'm losing 1-2 lb a week i'm happy with that because its something i can stick to rather that stay on a rigid diet 24/7 i'd soon get fed up and stuff myself.
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    When I have a cheat day, it's not so much a part of my schedule (i.e. weekly or monthly) so much as if I've been good for a long time and there's a special occasion, I'll let myself enjoy food the way I used to. For example, a few days ago was my mom's birthday, and we went out to a really nice restaurant that I've always wanted to go to, so I had the full four courses, bread, drink, everything. And after that I went to a friend's bonfire and had s'mores and chips for good measure ;] I love food too much to give up on indulging for the rest of my life. Plus, I felt SO full after all that that I was inspired to be extra-good the next day. My body just isn't used to handling sugar and saturated fat the way it used to, so being reminded of what I was missing didn't really prompt any kind of longing. It was a good day, though :]
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    Cheat days - no. But I have the occasional cheat evening (meal out with a few glasses of wine - even then I try to earn extra calories)

    My downfall in previous weightloss attempts was always letting a bad evening spill into the next day and before I knew it I'd overeaten ALL weekend! I haven't done that since signing up here.
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    I don't intentionally have one on a schedule, but they happen anyway so I don't stress over it as long as they are few and far between. :)

    I agree, I don't intentionally have days set aside to cheat on, this weekend gone is a perfect example.

    We (my folks, me and my sisters) had friends over on Saturday for a BBQ. I knew I'd have a hard time not picking at food, so I while I didn't deliberately set out to stuff myself silly, I wasn't exactly restrained either. Sunday was picking at leftovers, so again a day where I wasn't wonderful with watching what I was eating. Saying all that, I'm not particularly worried. I know I've gained some as result of this weekend, but I'm not trying to lose the weight for a quick fix, this is a long term goal and it's a long term plan.

    Go with what works for you
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
    I don't have an actual cheat day, but I'm not logging my food on weekends. I will definitely go over my usual cals in weekends, but I don't obsess over it., it's the weekend after all (not saying I go mad on binges or anything, but I'm just relaxed about it). This combination works for me.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
    Not a cheat day but definetely a cheat meal here and there! I try to make it at lunch time so I have longer to burn it off =)
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
    i do have a cheat day once a week. After 6 days of watching calories, i do have cravings for wings or pizza, etc. You do want to treat yourself once in a while because if you dont, you can go overboard when you do have it. On my cheat day, I do eat in moderation and I also make sure that I work extra hard the next day to get rid of the extra sodium and calories that i ate the day before
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    Cheat weekends for sure. I don't even log in here because I know it'll look bad. That and you tend to lose track of the drinks...
  • lissarv68
    lissarv68 Posts: 61
    Absolutely not. Seems sort of detrimental and like binging to me (for me personally, might work great for others but I always feel sort of bloated and gross if I cheat). Plus, I find it harder to get back on track after allowing myself to go off it. I am not on a diet, exactly, more like I'm trying to change habits and learn to eat the right portions. I don't deny myself the things I love (I just eat them less often and smaller amounts).
  • arkenny
    arkenny Posts: 125
    I dont have a dedicated cheat day... if there is something i want to eat ...I let myself...with in reason!! and i make sure its with in my calorie goal.....
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Nope. I don't have cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want - in moderation. For me, knowing I can have whatever I want - whenever I want it makes it feel less like a "diet" and more like a lifestyle change. I would much rather eat whatever it is I want NOW than have to wait for a specific day or meal to have it. I feel like THAT leads me to binge eat because I feel like there are foods that are 'Off limits' and this isn't my goal.
    THIS!! :-)
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
    This is a lifestyle, changing behavior, not a 'diet', so if I go over, I'm not going to fret, but go back to more healthy eating the next day. I do tend to be a little less restrictive on the weekends, but try to stay with as much healthy foods and exercise as possible.
  • kalougri
    kalougri Posts: 12
    I was wondering this yesterday. Every Sunday my family goes to my Mum and Dads for Sunday roast. It's not a massive blowout, and yesterday I took a few roast potatoes of my plate and shared them between the children. I did have a piece of cheesecake though and most of my meal was Steamed veg, There was stuffing and a fair bit of gravy though *oops*

    I look forward to Sunday all week, I get to put my feet up and not cook for the family, and my dad makes a mean roast. So I was wondering if I should just go with it (in moderation) and make sure I'm more careful the rest of the week.

    I was within my calorie limit by the time I got home, but I normally have a little supper at about 10, and messed up by having a couple of my home made cookies. Don't know if my will power was weakened by already having had a bit of a naughty dinner and cheesecake.

    Back on track today, but wondering how bad it is for my weightloss/willpower to have this small slip each week. (I was 277 calories over my target of 1310 yesterday)
  • Kcham817
    Kcham817 Posts: 106 Member
    I don't have a cheat meal or day per say, it just kind of happens. Usually they're pretty spaced out and mostly always a craving that I let linger for a few days. This way I know I really want it.
  • vulrich93
    vulrich93 Posts: 99
    I did find a blog, on TopFatLossTrainer.com, that says if you restrict carbs throughout the week then you should have a cheat day, just to keep your metabolism up. They went into some scientific explanation with hormones and stuff, but I didn't read it all.

    I sometimes like to. I joined a week ago and had one. I might have one every other week if I feel my metabolism is going to the pits.
  • mandeiko
    mandeiko Posts: 1,657 Member
    Never, to be honest!! I may cheat for a yummy snack within my day, but I always workout to make up for it, or just be careful to not go over my intake (if I have a lazy day, which is few and far between anyway).
  • FatGirlSlim89
    FatGirlSlim89 Posts: 53
    Actually I don't- I USED to though, and what I would find is that it would lead me to fall off the wagon completley. Ever since I've stopped having them I've been fine. We went to an all you can eat buffet for dinner the other night, and I just ate what I wanted, but I feel okay about it as it was only one meal and I haven't gained 5lbs lol.
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